Born in Casale Monferrato (Piedmont), Caligaris spent the first nine years of his career with the local team, A.S. Casale. He made his debut for them on October 12, 1919 in a match against local rivals Valenzana Calcio which Casale won 3–1. Casale was then in the Italian First division (the predecessor to Serie A) and had won the championship in 1914. However they were never to repeat that success and although during Caligaris’s career with the club they twice qualified for the inter-regional semi-final of North Italy, they were unable to get further.

The Italian national team, however, did provide scope for his talents. He received his first cap in 1922 against Austria, selected in place of Virginio Rosetta as right back flanking the great Genoeseleft backRenzo De Vecchi (“Son of God” to the fans), who had been playing for Italy since 1910. From then until De Vecchi’s retirement from international football in March 1925, Rosetta and Caligaris were in competition for the right back position. He played for Italy in the 1924 Olympics, the match against Spain being the first in which he played alongside Rosetta.

Caligaris’s final game for Italy, on February 11, 1934 was, like his first, against Austria. (Although a member of the Italian squad, he did not play in any of the 1934 World Cup matches.) His record of 59 caps for Italy was only surpassed in 1971 by Giacinto Facchetti.

Caligaris coached Juventus from 1939 until his death in Turin in October of the following year.